How effective is a heat treatment for bed bug infestation?

Bed bugs are a very common problem; they can arrive anywhere in your home, at a hotel or any other place. They are spread by hitching a ride on clothing, in bags or by crawling through small spaces such as cracks or even electrical connections between rooms.

Having bed bugs does not mean your place is dirty; they’re common in the best hotels and even hospitals. They live only on blood, from animals or humans, they do not eat rubbish and once established are very hard to get rid of.

The following information will explain how effective a heat treatment is for getting rid of bed bugs

What is a Bedbug?

A bed bug is a small brownish coloured, oval insect with a flat body that’ about the size of an apple seed until they feed which causes their bodies to blow up and become a more-red to red-brown colour.

They are flightless, but can very quickly move over floors, walls and bedding. Over their lifetime a female bed bug can lay hundreds of eggs all of which are smaller than a speck of dust so are almost impossible to see.

• In the right conditions, they can produce 4 or more generations each year
• The tiny eggs hatch into nymphs that start to feed as soon as they hatch
• To grow, they need to shed their skins, which they do after feeding
• To reach maturity the shed their skins five times
• They can go from egg to maturity in as little as four weeks
• They do not carry any known diseases but can be very annoying and irritating

Pest Control

Bed bugs are very hard to control because they are very small and can hide in very small places. They are fast-moving and can quickly re-infest areas by moving from one apartment or room to another and back using cracks, areas inside walls or even power outlets and travelling along the wires.

The conventional methods used for pest control were using pesticides, this can be expensive as well as hazardous to humans and pets.

Modern heat treatment methods are the most effective method of eliminating bed bugs. It’s safe and uses no chemicals, but kills bed bugs in all stages of their life cycle, eggs, the nymph and mature adult.

Having a room or whole building heat treated is cost-effective and means you can leave all your possessions and belongings safe there and you can come inside straight away after treatment as there are no chemicals used

How it works

All bedbugs in all stages of their life cycle will die if they are exposed to heat above 49C (120F)

During the heat treatment, the temperature is raised to 60C (140F) for about 3 to 6 hours depending on the area being treated. You can do it yourself or have a trained professional pest service do it for you. This is often the best option because:

• They have the proper equipment, especially for doing a whole house or apartment block
• They are well trained and will ensure every area in your building reaches the required temperature so there is no possibility of any bed bugs escaping
• They will not damage any of your furnishings, equipment or property
• Getting the heat into very small areas is vital and having the knowledge and experience in using the equipment is important to effectively use the equipment
• Most of the required equipment is available for hire, but it is bulky and expensive to hire, so having a professional doing it for you is a good choice

Consult your pest control company to find out about the options they offer and to get a free quote to have your bed bug problem resolved as well as ensuring you’re not re-infested. Heat treatment is the only way to ensure you completely bedbug-free without using harmful and expensive chemicals.